More than 800 bands (and counting) from all over the globe have been selected to perform as part of the 2013 South-by-Southwest Music Festival and Conference (March 12-17). The list includes a few regional acts, including three from the Fort who all have played the festival before: singer-songwriter Hudson Moore (who lives in Austin but claims Fort Worth), rapper Snow Tha Product (who lives or has lived in Fort Worth but claims Dallas), and, yes, Complete. The greatest band of all time has been chosen –– again; like, for the fifth year in a row –– to play the festival. By choosing Complete every year, South-by honchos are reveling themselves to be nothing but bargain-basement ne’er do wells. Either they, like sneaky snakes, are trying to capitalize on Complete’s YouTube notoriety –– the video for the band’s “hit” “song,” “Hoogie Boogie Land,” has been viewed 534,411 times as of this writing –– or South-by folks are trying to be funny, which is so not funny, considering that the guys in Complete are not all there mentally. The South-by bosses who think making fun of special people is somehow cool should burn in hell. It’s not cool, man. Not cool at all. And, no, Complete doesn’t need our pity either. They’re grown-ass men. They just need to stop making “music.” Which shouldn’t be a problem. The band doesn’t exist the rest of the year and comes out only to play South-by. Wow, South-by talent buyers, you guys really do your homework.
This year’s selections also have done nothing to abate my annual gripe: that cities in Flyover Country like Fort Worth always get short shrift. Nine-hundred bands from Brooklyn get invited every year but only two or three from the Fort, and there’s no way in hell that anyone can tell me that even half of those Brooklyn bands are tighter, more professional, and more creative than the 10 best bands from Fort Worth or Little Rock or Madison or Lincoln or St. Paul or St. Louis or Cleveland, the list goes on. No way.
Austin bands also get a lot of love, a lot. Well, you say, the festival is in Austin. There’s nothing wrong with South-by big-wigs throwing homegrown talent a few bones. No, but if the festival means what it used to mean –– a feather in the ol’ proverbial cap –– then South-by honchos are not doing any bands any favors by being homers. Or, of course, Austin just has so many good bands. It doesn’t. It has a lot, way more than Fort Worth, but not so many to create such a discrepancy in the numbers of Austin bands invited to play versus the number of bands from Flyover Country invited.
Maybe a lot of Flyover Country bands just didn’t submit this year. Apparently, you have to pay $35 for South-by honchos to even consider your band. Thirty-five times probably a million bands? That’s a lot of freaking dough, easily enough to pay for some big-time headliners, “underground” and “independent” artists like Robyn Hitchcock, The Crystal Method, Cold War Kids, Los Lonely Boys, and Dawes, who all are all scheduled to play this year. For free? I highly doubt it, but I could be wrong. I hope I am. Sheesh.
Just sampled Complete on youtube. Simply terrible. They have a sounds only a mother could love.
Snow has some talent. Impressive. This article has to be a bit biased to recommend Complete (I just threw up a little in my mouth just remembering that bands performances on youtube).
What?! Complete is the best band Fort Worth’s ever seen!
“Never in my life have I seen grown men–nay, ANYONE–wholeheartedly attempt to play music with such poor results. The sonic fruits of Complete’s labor are so exceptionally bad and unmusical that they are truly one of the most unique bands I’ve ever heard.” –Adam Gold
http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashvillecream/archives/2009/10/14/complete-the-worst-band-in-world-oh-the-humility
Youtube agrees.
“lol at the stunned silence of the crowd at the end of the song! i have the image of three people cheering, and everyone else just standing there with their mouths hanging open wondering wtf they just saw!”
Actually, the best part is before the song starts, when the lead singer asks if everybody’s ready to rock or whatever. Someone in the crowd says, “No.” The lead singer responds by saying, “You say, ‘No,’ but we’re about to take you on a little trip.” Such gold. Such priceless, priceless gold.
This is Curt Low of Complete, thank you for your kind words HEARSAY, I must inform you that you have not done your homework… I am sure that the other bands invited to play at SXSW this year are great or they would not have been invited. Unknown to you This is our 5th year to be invited by SXSW not just to showcase… History for any band wouldn’t you say? Also did you know that for over 2 years the labels have been running the festival, Also did you know that our band has not one but 2 cover bands? How’s that for a band that according to you, who has probably only seen the youtube video that was recorded at sharky’s in Fort Worth over 20 years ago that aired on cable/mtv, not to shabby…. You can if you care to take the time to check the facts and see that We do indeed have 2 cover bands that even video taped their trip’s. We have many hit song’s . Hoogie Boogie land is just the song that made us infamous on the internet which is world wide. Also did you know that people come from all over the world to see us play in Austin each year? Also did you know that no one was allowed in the club other that a few chosen one’s when we played last year because it was full of only A & R Rep’s and our devoted fan’s stood in the street infront of the Rusty Spur and luckily they had shutter windows that opened directley to the street so our fans didn’t miss a thing. Each year it get’s bigger and better. Fans sing along to our song’s and shout out requests. We love the music and respect our fellow musicians. Its seems like a paper such as your’s “The Fort Worth Weekly” Would print only the facts and not personal opinions such as yours and not SLANDER a band that is from Fort Worth that you should be proud of and not putting down, but to SLANDER SXSW, Wow, you guys have some big one’s don’t cha’??? So your saying the labels, the instrument maker’s and all of the biggest promotion company’s in the business are sitting around getting high on bathtub meth? Really now???? WOW…For all of those who have been insulted by such petty hate that seems to radiate from this so called writer for the FORT WORTH WEEKLY regarding my band, Please come on out to The Rail Club Feb 8th or TomCat’s West March 8th, and be a part of what the COMPLETE NATION has deemed the best band in the world. Not my quote, but theirs… God Bless you all and thank you for you kind responses to this article.
Curt Low
COMPLETE
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